Music and Victorian Liberalism Composing the Liberal Subject

The discourse of Victorian liberalism has long been explored by scholars of literature, with reference to politics, ethics and aesthetics. Yet little attention has been paid to music's role in the context of these debates, leaving a rich collection of historical and archival detail on the periphery of our understanding. From the impact of the National Sunday League to the reception of Wagner in London, this collection of essays aims to nuance current approaches to the aesthetic facets of liberalism, examining the interaction between music and liberal ideas in a variety of social contexts. The significance of music for modern conceptions of self-hood and community is uncovered, revealing a new dimension of Victorian liberalism.

About the author

Sarah Collins is a Senior Lecturer in musicology at the University of Western Australia. In 2017, she was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow at Durham University. Collins is the author of Lateness and Modernism (Cambridge, forthcoming) and The Aesthetic Life of Cyril Scott (2013). Her work has appeared in journals including the Journal of the Royal Musical Association, Twentieth-Century Music, Music & Letters and Musical Quarterly.

Product details

• Assisted by: Collins Sarah (Editor), Sarah Collins (Editor)
• Publisher: Cambridge Academic
• Content: Book
• Product form: Paperback / Softback
• Publication date: 29.08.2024
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Music > Music history
• EAN: 9781108703161
• ISBN: 978-1-108-70316-1
• Illustrations: 11 b/w illus. 19 music examples, Raster,schwarz-weiss, Notenbeigaben, Worked examples or Exercises
• Dimensions (packing): 17 x 24.4 x 1.4 cm
• Weight (packing): 467 g
• Subjects: MUSIC / History & Criticism, Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900, Romanticism, Music reviews & criticism, 1837–1901 (Victorian period), Music reviews and criticism, Romantic Music (C 1830 To C 1900), Art music, orchestral and formal music